


rocky road

by jokbal



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22819765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jokbal/pseuds/jokbal
Summary: wendy gets a boyfriend
Relationships: Park Sooyoung | Joy/Son Seungwan | Wendy
Comments: 3
Kudos: 67





	rocky road

_shit, i’m like 15 minutes late!_

wendy rounds the corner, excess momentum sending her hurtling down the apartment complex corridor like a stray comet thrown by the gravitational pull of a planet. she skids to a stop in front of door 903 and hurriedly smoothes out the bunches in her waffle-knit sweater, fingers weaving through her bird’s nest hair to tidy up before jabbing the doorbell exactly three times. 

“oh, hey!” yeri beams, “joy is showering right now, but you can hang out in the living room until she’s done.”

_of course she isn’t ready yet! why do i ever even worry about being on time!_ wendy desperately wants to drag her hands down her face in exasperation but doesn’t want to test out the anti-smear properties of her makeup. instead, she opts for an appreciative, “oh, okay. thanks!” while tearing off her shoulder bag as she enters the living room.

“do you want anything to drink?” yeri calls out from the kitchen. 

“no, i’m alright, thanks!” comes the automatic response, but yeri’s already set down a tall glass of cold tea in front of her, ice still crackling from the temperature shock. 

“not to be rude, but you look like you ran a marathon or something.” 

the glass sits atop a coaster on the coffee table, sweating just about as much as wendy. she’s suddenly aware of just how open her pores are and nabs a tissue to dab at the niagara falls. 

the brisk tea cools her from the inside out. having adjusted to the temperature of the room, wendy sinks into the couch cushions. yeri takes a seat beside her, tossing her legs over the armrest in an attempt to get comfy. 

wendy flicks her wrist to glance at her watch. _twenty-five minutes late._ she clicks open her phone with a heaving sigh, the weight of which causes her to dissolve further into her seat.

“is something wrong?” yeri asks, glancing up from her own screen.

“ah, sorry to bring down the mood.”

“don’t be sorry,” yeri says, sitting upright so she can face wendy, “is there something bothering you?”

“it’s nothing, really. i was just thinking about how i should probably give up on this crush i have…” wendy trails off, “i don’t think my feelings are getting through at all…”

yeri perks up at the mention of romance. “oh, that’s right, huh. you’ve been single for like, the past eight years or so, right?”

wendy’s mouth cracks open as if to prove her wrong but there isn’t anything she can say in her own defense. yeri hit the nail dead on the head and her pores begin to open once again.

“can you give me your number?” yeri giggles, “i’ll find someone better for you. someone who deserves these feelings of yours.” she hands wendy her cell phone, ready for a new contact to add to her collection of over 300. 

“ah! hi wendy~!! i’m almost ready to go,” joy announces from the bathroom door. 

at the sound of joy’s voice, wendy looks up to see her friend, hair dripping onto the floor and wrapped in nothing but a fluffy towel as she saunters down the hall to her bedroom to change. she quickly rips her eyes away from joy to punch her digits into yeri’s phone. maybe she’s a little too hurried, but she’s feeling awfully antsy right about now. it’s getting a little stuffy in here isn’t it?

it’s a good half hour before joy’s actually ready enough to leave her home, but she and wendy finally make it out the door, and their couple of hours together ends up the same as usual. they catch up on the week’s happenings over shared ice cream and stroll around window shopping in which wendy has to physically pull joy away from every nicely constructed garment standing behind glass. 

the difference this time is that while wendy is riding the train back to her apartment, she isn’t thinking about her day with joy, but rather, a boy that’s appeared in her text messages. the cacophonous chatter of passengers and pulsing start and stop of the train fade into the background.

_unknown number, 6:08pm: hey this is yeri_

_yeri, 6:09pm: [attachment] this is andrew he’s a close friend of mine and about your age. can i give him your number?_

the downloaded attachment shows yeri’s friend posing at the edge of a lush cliffside. seems like he’s pretty adventurous? he stands in full hiking gear with a wink on his face and triumphant peace sign raised high in the air. 

wendy takes a moment to analyze the photo. there’s really nothing to lose, right? it isn’t like she has a chance with her crush anyways.

_wendy, 7:15pm: sure, he’s kinda cute_

a couple hours later, as she’s climbing into bed, wendy receives another text. it’s andy.

— 

as is their weekly routine, wendy and joy end up back at the same ice cream parlor, and just like the regularity of this entire ordeal, they end up with a double scoop of mint chocolate chip.

mint chip isn’t really wendy’s thing, but she isn’t one to complain; _especially_ when it’s joy’s favorite flavor. besides, she probably shouldn’t be indulging in this much sugar anyways. she _is_ paying for half of it though, so she’ll at least take scrapings off the surface every so often.

“so,” joy announces in between spoonfuls, “you should come with me to irene’s party on saturday.” 

“i’m busy this weekend. i have a date,” wendy cooly deflects. 

joy’s plastic spoon clatters against the surface of the table, sending little splats of green flying this way and that. “a _what?_ ” she blurts without having finished her mouthful of ice cream.

“yeah, this guy andrew asked me out. we’re going to an outdoor concert.”

something must’ve gone down the wrong tube, because joy starts hacking more aggressively than a middle aged man full of phlegm. she clamps a firm hand on wendy’s arm for stability while scrambling for a napkin to cover her cough. there isn’t much wendy can do but pat joy’s back in a feeble attempt to help dislodge the blockage.

“a _boy??_ ” joy wheezes. 

“...yes?” wendy’s eyebrows ram together in confusion and concern over the functionality of her friend’s airways.

“waitwaitwait, hang on,” joy sputters, grabbing wendy by the shoulders, “let’s not make any rash decisions here. is there something awful going on in your life that i don’t know about? dating boys isn’t always the answer, wendy. what about girls? have you considered that?”

heat creeps up through wendy’s throat and all the way into the tips of her ears as she catches store patrons’ judging eyes on her table. they’re causing quite a ruckus in this quaint little ice cream parlor, and she’s getting a bit more concerned about getting thrown out at this point.

joy doesn’t seem to take notice, and wraps one arm around wendy’s shoulders. “ok, here, how about this,” she says, rifling through her leather handbag with her free hand, “i’ll show you one of the prettiest girls i know.” she pulls out a pocket mirror and pulls wendy close so they both fit center frame. _oh her shampoo changed, i don’t think i know this scent._

“you want me to date _myself?!”_

“don’t be stupid, now. anyways, look at how much better girls look than boys,” joy snips. there’s a bit of edge to her voice but wendy can tell she isn’t trying to be condescending.

“...oh my god,” she whispers to herself in the mirror. 

“...anyways, that’s what happened today!” wendy announces, throwing her arms into the air in frustration. she hops off the couch to pace around the living room. the tight space lets her complete several full laps in mere seconds.

“so what’s the next move?” her roommate, seulgi, asks. she takes the extra real estate to stretch out from end to end, loose, freshly washed hair draping over an armrest like kelp in the surf.

“i don’t know??” 

“wow, what poor timing on joy’s part, though.”

“oh _tell_ me about it,” she groans, collapsing onto the sofa and crushing seulgi underneath. 

seulgi sputters wendy’s lion’s mane out of her mouth. “well you already said yes to that boy, so you might as well go out with him and see how it goes,” she suggests, gently mussing her friend’s hair in support.

— 

the first thing wendy notices about yeri’s friend is that he’s a giant: about a head taller than joy, who’s nearly a head taller than wendy herself; there must be at least a foot difference between them. in contrast to his imposing height, however, he appears shy and a bit mushy— not nearly as rugged as wendy expected from a person who loves hiking. 

they walk to the venue from the subway station, exchanging pleasantries and introductions on the way. andrew, or _andy_ for short, gives off a cute, boyish energy that quickly dissolves any apprehension. wendy quickly finds herself enjoying his company. 

the concert itself happens to be part of an outdoor summer music event that invites local bands to perform in the park as part of a weekly showcase. they find a seating area off to the side and andy procures a slubby, mottled green throw from his backpack for the two of them to sit on. 

surrounded by warm, steady conversation, rhythmic percussion, and the comfort of having your night planned _for_ you rather than _by_ you, wendy readily melts into the human equivalent of a hamster pancake. she lets her head rest on andy’s shoulder throughout the night, while they bob to the music. _so this is what i’ve been looking for…_

the night eases to a close as andy walks wendy to the nearest train station. they maintain a comfortable but intimate distance, with her hand resting in the crook of his elbow.

“— train approaching, please be mindful of the gap between the platform and the train.”

“i had a lot of fun tonight, thanks,” andy says, rubbing the back of his neck. the shadow cast off the brim of his hat does a poor job of concealing his emerging blush.

the train blows by, bringing a powerful gust of wind that just about knocks wendy off her feet. her head bumps into andy’s chest as she tries to stabilize herself. a sturdy arm wraps around her tiny frame to help her regain her footing. “s-sorry, about that,” she looks up, warmth spreading across her cheeks, “i also had a good time; are you free to grab lunch next week?”

— 

joy stabs into their usual ice cream order. she’s been unusually prickly since wendy picked her up from her apartment this afternoon. “so, how’s this _boy_ you’re seeing,” she asks flatly.

“oh,” wendy perks up, “he’s really nice!” she holds up her phone, showing off a picture of them on their picnic. andy’s height made it difficult for them to take a selfie together, but they managed a cute photo with the help of a passerby.

“nice?” joy scoffs, “he looks like a potato. you can do better than this, wendy.”

“not everything is about looks ok! and besides, we have a lot of similar interests,” wendy defends. she leans back into her chair, crossing her legs as if to guard herself from joy’s verbal barrage.

“similar interests? like what.” at this point, joy’s gouged out about half of the ice cream, while wendy hasn’t touched it. spoon in hand, she tightly folds her arms.

“we have the same taste in books and music, and he’s just a really nice guy! he went out of his way to make a reservation for us for dinner the other day.”

“so the reason why you haven’t been hanging out with me as much is because you found someone with better taste than me?”

“wh— ! am i not allowed to see people besides you, seulgi, and yeri?!” it’s wendy’s raised voice this time, that manages to turn heads. if they keep this up, they might actually get booted from this establishment, but it’s not like they ever order a flavor that wendy likes anyways so who cares!

“that’s not what i meant, but whatever,” joy pouts, throwing her spoon into a now empty paper cup. “let’s go.” 

— 

joy aggressively shovels food into her mouth, “ugh, wendy is so busy with that stupid _boy_ all the time,” she complains. she has a habit of gesticulating when she’s frustrated, and with chopsticks in her hand, bits of rice land this way and that.

“oh yeah, they’re getting along pretty well, aren’t they.”

“what does she even _see_ in him?? what does he have that i don’t?!”

yeri looks up from her food with a smirk. “dick?”

joy immediately cocks back her arm, holding up her utensils as if to take a stab at yeri, who merely shrugs and returns to picking at the side dishes. “why do you care so much anyways? it’s not like you _like_ her or anything,” she says offhandedly. 

the world goes silent with the exception of yeri’s comments echoing into the abyss. joy stares straight ahead but there’s a disconnect between what her eyes are seeing and what her brain is processing. like a cell phone dunked into a swimming pool, her circuits have shorted. it’s going to take a lot more than dry rice to fix this one.

— 

“ah, hi,” andy says, taken aback at seulgi answering the door. “is wendy home?”

seulgi hesitates for a second while she makes the mental connection from this giant man to wendy. “wendy! your boyfriend is here!” she yells down the foyer and into the apartment. the sound of “boyfriend” causes andy to flush pink; a reaction seulgi takes note of with a cat-like grin.

a distant “i’m coming!! sorry!!” is heard before wendy herself pops up beside her roommate, ready for an outing. “i’m ready to go!” she says, with the enthusiasm of a boy scout salute.

“have fun!” seulgi waves after them as they make their way out of the apartment complex.

this time, the two of them land at an amusement park. it’s not too crowded today, and the weather is perfect for an afternoon outside. after starting with calm rides, they ramp up to roller coasters and quickly find themselves motion sick. they decide to have lunch to take a breather.

“hot dog and spr*te?” andy asks, confirming wendy’s order. 

“yep! i’ll find us a place to sit,” she says with a smile, before heading off into the shade.

as soon as she sits down, wendy’s phone starts buzzing off the rails. joy? what could she want? _is she messing with me again?_ upon opening the messages, her annoyance flips into worry.

_joy, 2:05pm: wendy this is an emergency!!_

_joy, 2:06pm: please come to my apartment i need ur help!!_

wendy’s mind instantly jumps to the worst possible situations. _what if joy’s getting robbed right now? what if she got attacked by someone and yeri isn’t home to call the cops?_

she spots andy in the distance, returning with the food and a beverage with two straws in it, and vigorously waves him over. 

“i’m so sorry to leave like this but i think my friend is in trouble,” she blurts, “i have to leave to go see if she’s okay.”

andy’s eyes expand to dinner plate size, as he dumps the food on the table to put a massive hand on wendy’s shoulder. “oh no… you should definitely go to check up on her,” he says, worry evident in his deep voice. 

“thank you for taking me out today, but i have to go,” wendy says before sprinting off, leaving andy to watch her dash out of view, hotdogs growing cold.

she arrives, twenty minutes later, at joy’s door, drenched in more sweat than a basketball player about to shoot a tide-turning free throw. “joy?” she yells from outside, fists about to beat the door off its hinges, “are you okay?!”

the door opens swiftly, to a relieved joy, and— a plunger?

wendy frowns in confusion as she pushes her way into the apartment to inspect the emergency. her nose leads her into the kitchen, where the sink continues to hack up a mysterious grey-brown solution that spills onto the floor. “give me that,” she barks, yanking the plunger from joy, who looks on wordlessly in admiration as wendy manages to unclog the pipes with a single swift maneuver.

they stand in a puddle of waste water as the sink gurgles and drains back to an empty state. wendy takes the time to scrub her hands clean before turning to face joy, every inch of her alight with anger. 

“was that it?! what is your problem? why are you being so selfish?!”

“selfish?” joy is taken aback, “this was an actual emergency! think of all the water damage i just avoided with your help!”

“i rushed all the way over here in the middle of a date because you needed my help with your _plumbing_?!”

“well, it wasn’t _just_ because of that!”

“then what was i— !”

before wendy can complete her interrogation, she’s interrupted by joy grabbing her by the collar to yank her into a firm kiss. 

“i needed _you_ too,” joy says, breathless.

wendy’s life flashes before her eyes. as if someone had made a video montage of all of her time spent with joy, every instance of joy being an asshole plays in unison. she freezes in place with realization. _she’s just an emotionally constipated idiot…!_

snapping back into her senses, wendy takes the opportunity to smack joy across the face. “you can’t interrupt people in the middle of what they’re doing to come help you with things like this! why couldn’t you call yeri? aren’t you roommates!!” her heart rate must be past 190 beats per minute at this point because she’s practically gasping for air. “put yourself in other people’s shoes for once! don’t expect people to just drop what they’re doing for you!”

joy’s eyes drop to the floor, flooding with tears (that was quite a slap) as she rubs her sore cheek. “s-sorry, it was rude of me to call you while you were busy… i won’t do it again…“ she whimpers.

wendy takes a deep breath to steady herself, and in doing so, feels her heart sink into her stomach, years of pent up emotions swirling inside. her glare softens as she stares at joy, standing there in defeat, slippers growing soggier with every second. 

joy raises her head to make eye contact with wendy, guilt falling in wobbly drops to the floor. “but… you came to me anyways, didn’t you?”

wendy reaches up to cradle joy’s blubbering face in her hands, rising high on her toes to place a kiss on her forehead. “you’re not wrong,” she whispers, breaking into a smile. “but my point still stands.”

——— 

the next time they inevitably end up at the ice cream parlor, yeri and seulgi tag along. this time, instead of ordering just mint chocolate chip, wendy and joy switch one of the two scoops to rocky road after wendy sheepishly admits that she thinks mint chip tastes like toothpaste. joy scolds her for not saying anything about it for literal months.

when joy discovers that yeri was the one to set wendy up and seulgi encouraged her to go out with _a boy_ , she’s so insulted that the four of them finally get kicked out of the shop due to rowdy behavior (but now they have other excuses to spend time with each other).

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i really wanted to turn this into a doujin but. too lazy...


End file.
